- WINEP’s Ben Fishman: Libya after Haftar
Visit criticalthreats.org for more work on Libya, including:
- Libya Update: Exit the General?
- Seven years after the revolution, America is still wrong about Libya (originally published in The Hill)
- Libya Faces Crossroads Seven Years after Revolution
- A Strategy for Success in Libya
- The General’s Trap in Libya
As Libya's war economy persists, prospects for the restoration of functioning central governance become more distant, says Tim Eaton.d watch the video >
With the backing of the tribes and communities who supported his father, Saif al-Islam could be bringing back the old regime with his run for president.
- The absence of Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar following a reported stroke has ignited uncertainty in the country and set the stage for a power struggle in eastern Libya. Subsequent instability may derail fragile political initiatives and disrupt U.S. efforts to contain ISIS and al Qaeda in Libya. [See Exit the General? for more analysis.]
- Iran may restore Russia’s military access to an Iranian air base to conduct operations in Syria. Russian officials reportedly requested access to Shahid Nojeh Air Base after President Donald Trump warned Syrian President Bashar al Assad against employing chemical weapons. Iran and Russian will likely continue military coordination in preparation for future U.S. strikes in Syria. [For additional background information of Russia’s previous military presence in Iran, read Marie Donovan’s “Russian Basing in Iran is about More than ISIS.”]
- The Gulf diplomatic crisis is weakening the Somali Federal Government (SFG), a key U.S. partner in the fight against al Shabaab. The SFG ended a military training agreement with the UAE after Somali officials accused the UAE of financing a political challenge to Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. Tensions between the SFG and the UAE have escalated since the Farmajo administration refused to sever ties with Qatar under Emirati and Saudi pressure in 2017. [See “The New Scramble for Africa” and “The Gulf Contest for the Horn of Africa.”]